Half of Brexit ‘Leave’ voters now unhappy

Around 90 per cent of Derry Journal readers think we are better off remaining within Europe - with one in six Brexiteers saying they would now change their vote.

A new Brexit survey shows 78 per cent of Derry Journal readers believe the UK will have a more prosperous future economically inside Europe. As well as this, 77 per cent said Britain and the north should continue to be part of the single European market.

The Foyle constituency returned one of the highest ‘Remain’ votes in the British Isles in the Brexit Referendum of June 2016.

Brexit is scheduled to take place in March 2019, although the EU has repeatedly warned the Tory government that the Irish border must be sorted out first.

The new Derry Journal study, run in partnership with Google Surveys, was completed online by 1,100 people.

Four in five of those surveyed on the site (81 per cent) said they were not happy with the status of Brexit negotiations at the moment, with just one in 12 saying they were happy. Regardless of how those surveyed voted in the referendum, they were more likely to be unhappy than happy.

Among those who said they voted Leave, 50 per cent are unhappy with the status of negotiations. Leave voters were more likely to say they would not vote in the same way now, with one in six saying they’d act differently compared to one in 35 Remain voters.

Of those surveyed, 84 per cent said customs controls at the border would not be acceptable. Among Leave voters, 36 per cent said customs controls would be acceptable, with 49 per cent saying they would not be acceptable.

Among Leave voters, 22 per cent think Britain is better off economically in Europe and a third of these voters think we should continue to be part of the Single Market.

Remain voters meanwhile are keener on maintaining ties with Europe, with 90% saying the UK is better off economically inside Europe, and 87% saying we should continue to be part of the Single Market.